TURKISH REQUEST FOR SECURE PASSAGE TO BAGHDAD -

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003022 SIPDIS STATE FOR P, NEA CROCKER, NEA/NGA AND EUR/SE; NSC FOR KHALILZAD; LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; DAMASCUS FOR WALKER E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2013 TAGS: PREL MARR TU IZ SUBJECT: TURKISH REQUEST FOR SECURE PASSAGE TO BAGHDAD - TURKS PROCEEDING DESPITE U.S. DEMARCHE REF: A. STATE 120356 ¶B. STATE 114629 ¶C. ANKARA 2982 (U) Classified by A/DCM Scot Marciel. Reasons: 1.5 (B and D). ¶1. (C) Pol-Mil Counselor delivered Ref A demarche to MFA Deputy Director General for the Middle East Safak Gokturk and Iraq Deskoff Farhat Alkan May 8. Gokturk responded by saying that the first Turkish convoy (carrying Turkey's Ambassador to Iraq) had already left Ankara and would cross the Iraqi border at Habur the morning of May 9, proceeding from there to Baghdad. The second convoy, carrying their DCM, would proceed as planned, crossing into Iraq May 14. Gokturk said the Turks were going back for two reasons: by their count, 17 countries already had sent diplomats back to Baghdad; and the GOT wanted to have their own eyes and ears in Baghdad now. ¶2. (C) Gokturk said he was unaware of any plans to travel outside of Baghdad once their staff was back, and said that establishing consulates in other cities would be a long-term project that would not begin in the near future. ¶3. (C) Referring to our point about the Coalition reserving the right to expel anyone who interfered with Coalition activities, Gokturk said he hoped that point was boilerplate for all countries and that we did not anticipate any trouble from the Turkish diplomats. The Turks certainly did not intend to create any difficulty for the Coalition. PEARSON